Whenever you Remember
by magic-blood
Summary: A young Jack Sparrow is forced to say a sad goodbye to his first mate and friend Arabella Smith, a retelling of their farewell.


_Author's note: __This takes place at the end of the popular Jack Sparrow book City of Gold part of the Jack Sparrow series. Jack is forced to say a sad farewell to his first mate and best friend Arabella Smith. If your familiar with the series you'll know that these two where more then good friends and if they both weren't so young then they probably would have realized that for themselves. Anyway the whole goodbye scene always made me cry but I always felt that not enough was said. In losing my best friend whose moving away herself, I now know what it's like to think you'll never see someone's face or laugh at their jokes ever again…so this is dedicated to her. "Whenever you remember I'll be there, remember how we reached that dream together, whenever you remember."-- __Whenever you remember__ by Carrie Underwood._

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Whenever you Remember

"She's my Mum Jack, I can't lose her again," Arabella said stifling tears. She had to look away from Jack when all she wanted to do was look into his dark brown eyes. She needed to know that there was another person who felt what she was feeling at that moment. They had been through everything together, looking back to the person she was when he'd asked her to join him she didn't recognize herself. Now as they stood on the dock feet away from there fellow friend Fitzwilliam and Arabella's mother, it was all coming to end. Jack made a humorless laugh.

"What are you talking about you can't leave with _her_, what about us and Fitz and the Barnacle?! We haven't even had a chance to rid the seas of pirates yet!" he exclaimed thinking it a bad joke.

"Well what about me Jack? We can't do this forever, there's no life in this for me!" she'd already began to walk away, backing away from him, backing away from memories and forgotten promises. That was when he took her hand and she finally looked up into his eyes sighing heavily, "this is already hard enough, you hadn't need to beg." He dropped her hand and took a step back himself, he looked to her saddened face and wondered why she was doing this to herself when she could just stay with him. She turned around, she thought that it would go something like this. Ever since they met he'd always been possessive of her, she remembered back to that day. It was raining when she was shoving him around outside her father's Tortugan tavern. He had nearly killed himself when he'd picked a fight with a brute of a man and if it weren't for her he'd most likely be dead. She yelled at him out there in the pouring rain, hit at him and cursed him for causing damage to the tavern when all he did was smile. From that moment she knew that he was different. That he wasn't like all the other sailors and vagabonds she'd met in the past. He had known from the second they met that they where going to be the best of mates. They both were of course correct but neither could predict where the path of friendship would take them.

Some things don't go as they are planned and a series of events had led them to this dock where Arabella had reunited with her mother, a pirate herself. Leaving with her would go against everything that Jack and her had believed in. Everything that they had promised each other in the dead of night as they stared up to the stars. That they would never be a pirate, they would never abandon each other, they would always follow the seas and wherever they might lead, and above all they would never forget. She had told him just a few minutes ago that she'd stand by him and here she was walking away.

"So that's it then? See you in a few years behind that bar table, lass, or even worse hanging from the gallows right next to your mother!" he spat at her harshly in a hushed voice so the others wouldn't hear. She stopped to listen but now was angered with him even further. She turned back around and put a hand on her hip, when she'd said goodbye to Fitzwilliam the most he did was nod and maybe even shed a tear himself, he'd respected her decision and let her leave freely. She'd liked Fitz, she could admit it now, she had somewhat of a crush on him and he'd liked her too though it was harder for him to admit.

"Goodbye Captain, as your first mate I salute you, I'm sorry I'm just realizing now what a pompous idiot you are!" there fight had captured the attention of the others as they carried supplies onto the ship. Arabella's Mother smiled, she hated Jack and was glad her daughter was finally seeing him for what he really was.

"Bella!" she called out as she waited next to her ship, "Get ready to make way, finish your little goodbyes I'll show you to your cabin." Arabella nodded over her shoulder to her.

"So you really are leaving?" Jack asked quietly. He knew the answerer in her glare and he understood that no matter what he said now, she had already made up her mind.

"Fine!" he said throwing his hands in the air dramatically,"Leave for all I care become a pirate and I'll be happy as a pompous captain!"

"Well good Because I'll be just fine living a life of crime and sin as a pirate myself!" she said just as dramatically as he had.

"Good now I at least don't have to worry about missing you."

The last words he didn't mean to say. To be honest it didn't cross his mind yet of missing her, it was all happening so fast. But now as he thought of it a thousand thoughts crossed his mind, who would be there to call him captain, not Fitz, who would be there to be his favorite first mate, who would be there to laugh at his jokes, who would listen to his dreams of someday becoming a famous captain who would always be known for ridding the seas of pirate scum? He would miss everything about her, from her laugh to her tendency to stick her nose in the air and put a hand on her hip as if she were the toughest barmaid in this side of the Atlantic. She would miss him too, from his kind eyes to how he called her Bella or lass, or how he was always so keen to make a remark on how lovely she looked on no matter what day. How he was so certain that he was a captain and would make it a point that others would address him as so. She would miss him every day, so how could he say such a despiteful and false thing?

"I'm sorry," she finally said looking down again a tear rolled off her cheek. "I can't do this, I can't stand here and pretend to fight with you, Jack you're my best friend…I need to leave, and if you won't miss me then I'm sorry to ever waste my breath now." she turned and ran away from him. She ran by Fitz who reached a hand out to her only to have it be passed by with only a quiet final farewell. Jack watched on then turned around himself, he reminded himself that he was Captain Jack Sparrow that she was only his first mate and she was replaceable. But calling her replaceable was the greatest lie he could think.

A good friend is as hard to find as a rainbow on a rainless day, a true friend comes once in a lifetime, a person who fakes it and lies behind your back comes once in a while. And the difference between the two is vast, as wide as the Atlantic ocean. A good friend is the same as you, and comes once in a person's lifetime they could stay for only a few months or years but be there forever. You'll never lose a friend like that no matter the distance between the two of you. Whenever you remember they'll be there.

"Whenever you remember Jack, I'll be there" called out Arabella looking to her friend's back as she walked onto the ship. He new that as soon as the wind would hit the sails that the ship would turn invisible and that would be the last he'd see of her, but even that wasn't enough to make him turn around to face her.

He wanted to say something as she waited to board her mother's ship, just anything, but words would prove to fail him. She began to cry as a crew mate of her mother's barked to make ready the canvas to drop the sails and raise the anchor. She walked onto the ship as slowly as she could just as Jack turned to say something he saw that she was leaving and new he didn't have much time. He ran closer to get a better view but just then the ship pushed forward as the wind hit it's sails and it vanished as if it never been. He took a step back then frowned.

"Bell!" he called, "Bell I'm sorry, ARABELLA!" there was only silence. He kicked at the ground and turned away from the ship that if he wanted to could reach out and touch when all he wanted was just to see it, to see her smile one last time. "I'll miss you Arabella," he said to himself.

She wanted to say something but this time words wouldn't come for her. She knew that the others couldn't see her anymore and it a helpless and alone feeling, as cold as the sea breeze that pushed back her hair and muffled her cries. Jacks cries for her hurt her worse then anything else. If friendship is so hard to find why does it always prove so easy to lose? A tear fell to the waters below as her mother took to her side and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"There, there Arabella, he was no good for you anyway it's common to lose your first love," she said as gently as she could only to have her daughter jump to the remark.

"Love? Mother I didn't love him, he was there when no one else was, if it weren't for him I'd never have found you I'd still be back in Tortuga cleaning up after drunk sailors and rotten pirates. He saved me, he saved me in every way that I dreamed someone would… he was my angel masked as a common boy. He was my only and first friend… in a way I did love him I suppose, I wasn't in love with him though."

Her mother didn't understand and Arabella hadn't expected her to, she loved jack, she loved him…that was it! So why was she here? Maybe she wasn't in love with him, but she loved him, but she loved her mother as well. It was cruel and unfair how her fate worked. It was almost as if it were testing her. Deliberately mocking her, having her chose between a friend and family and her choice would not only change her future, but it would change everyones.

"She's gone," said Fitzwilliam to Jack as both looked out to the seemingly empty waters.

"So what?" Jack asked turning around and walking away despondently.

"So what? How could you say that? She was crying after you said whatever that loud mouth of yours ran off to her! She was crying and in all probability still is, did you really have to be so harsh to her?"

"She lead us on Fitz wake up! She called us her friends, I called her my loyal first mate and look how loyal she's being right now. She leaves me-- or us here with only a crew of two. I mean really who does that?"

"Someone who just become conscious that her mother is still alive? Oh but I don't know Jack, how truly heartless could someone be to leave the greatest captain of the seven seas for the person who brought them into this world!" Jack caught on quickly to his sarcasm and stayed silent. "There are believe it or not worse things that someone could do to there captain… she really liked you she couldn't even say goodbye." Fitzwilliam walked away after saying that past Jack and made his way back to he Barnacle leaving Jack to his demons. He loved her, that's why he was so fast to yell at her to scold her to attempt to make her feel as abandoned as she made him feel. The thought of her being gone was one he couldn't comprehend, and here he was with not even so much of something to remember her by.

She watched as he became smaller and smaller in the distance standing with his back to her. Memories danced before her eyes and she thought time could stand still. But it wouldn't. Time was what separated them not her choice decision, and time is what one day would bring them back together.

Jack turned back around knowing that the ship would be too far away to say that he was sorry that he really had some sort of feelings for her locked deep within his heart. That he needed her there next to him, that he couldn't picture it any other way. But it was too late now. All he could do was raise a hand and wave goodbye. She leaned over further and squinted, was he waving to her? Yes! He was, she managed a smile and waved back all the while knowing he wouldn't be able to see her. He let his hand fall to the side and truly thought of for a moment jumping in the water after her, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He had a sudden calm as he took out the compass that his dear mystic friend, Tia Dalma had give to him just recently. The arrow span wildly before falling ahead of him past the direction of the Barnacle and the Flower of Death that Arabella had sailed away on, it pointed to the horizon. With that he walked away, the horizon was where he would be heading to next, onto the next day, the next adventure. It was a lesson he would carry wit him for the rest of his days, the horizon is where the future waits and the past escapes, the horizon is where he could meet her again.

Arabella turned around and closed her eyes tight.

"Is everything alright, miss?" said a young crew member. She opened her eyes to see a boy about her age with long brown hair and large blue eyes, she looked away from his carrying gaze.

"Yes I'm just perfect sailor, if you don't mind I don't feel like talking." she said trying not to sound so rude, she really just felt like being alone.

"But you're crying, a pretty girl like yourself shouldn't be so sad!" he said with a bright smile that lit his whole face and illuminated his handsome features.

"It's none of your business sailor, really!" she walked past him he though wasn't as quick to give up.

"It's Bill, Bill Turner," he said to her back. She turned to him smiling. "My name that is, what's yours?"

"Arabella," she said reluctantly. His smile widened and he told her how pretty it sounded she thanked him and continued to walk away then something stopped her and she turned back to him, she did need someone to talk to after all.

Jack took the wheel as Fitzwilliam leaned casually over the railing staring out to where the ship had disappeared.

"You can stop staring Fitzy she's long gone by now." mumbled jack still looking to his compass.

"Do you think that we could meet her again, someday?"

"Depends."

"On what?" he asked persistently. Jack thought for a moment.

"On a lot of very complicated things that I don't feel like getting into right now, so if you would just pleas stop talking about it."

"A lot will change you know Sparrow, if we ever do see her again that is." he said with a sigh. Jack nodded but thought that someone like Bella would always inside still be that bar maid that he met in Tortuga, no matter who she meets, who she becomes, where she travels to. He quickly shook the thoughts of her out of his head.

"I said to stop talking Fitz, go hoist he anchor or raise the sails or something, better yet do both if you ever want to get out of the god forsaken port." Fitzwilliam shrugged and walked past his captain leaving Jack a bit guilty for barking at him.

"It depends on the one day," he finally said.

"What?" asked the new first mate confused.

"I said that it's the one day that we meet again, that's what it all depends on." Fitzwilliam nodded taken back by the reason that he came up with. "I just hope I'm around for the day that fate realizes the mistake it's made."


End file.
